Ilumi

Ilumi is a range of wireless bulbs which use the internet and an app on your smartphone to adjust settings. With these bulbs replacing traditional bulbs, you get the added benefit of LED savings and a much more efficient lighting system. The bulbs come with a range of lighting options controlled by you. Settings can be saved so that in the event of a power loss or wireless signal loss, you will not be left in the dark.

Total Cost Breakdown

Features

Ilumi is proclaimed to be the smartest light bulb in the world, one which works similarly to a regular light bulb but is controlled with an Android App or with a Bluetooth device on iOS.

Control Settings

The company claims that using the new app, users can control the light setting so that they can, for example, dine under what looks like candle light. Alternatively, they can use the app to create a small night light, or wake up to a bright sunrise.

Different Bulbs

There are different types of lightbulbs available, including the A19 Standard LED, the BR30 Flood LED, and the Outdoor Flood LED. The A19 LED bulbs are able to produce 800 lumens of brightness. Their BR30 bulb are able to produce 1100 lumens.

Wireless Control

There is home control and no hub setting. You do need Wi-Fi to control the lights. Users are able to set up a routine, so that it is programmed to respond to your wants accordingly.

Pros

Led

All of the options available to users are LED lights. LED bulbs are long lasting and they are more energy efficient. Right now, global warming is a result of greenhouse gasses and there are many sources of CO2 to the atmosphere almost all of which are a result of increased human greenhouse gas emissions. Without changing this, the world will lose vital components to multiple ecosystems, forests in particular. That said, LED bulbs are truly an energy efficient investment. This bulb, though expensive at the start, is a long term savings plan. Long term savings are found in terms of your energy consumption and the environmental impact.

Experiences

There are pre-installed iLumi’s “Experiences. ” The app has stock options such as the disco music sync, the torch mode, or the circadian mode which tries to mimic the natural daily cycle of the sun. This is a great app for those who work off shifts and need to help their bodies adjust.

The company has stated that more updates are pending. What this means for consumers is that the technology behind their lights, and the options available for brightness, will change soon and might improve. No one will know yet if this means additional costs. ILumi has now offered its second-generation smart bulbs with an additional 150 feet connection between bulb and app after a Bluetooth 4.0 upgrade.

Cons

Cannot Connect to Home System

The on board Bluetooth radios mean that your bulbs do not require a hub to operate, unfortunately it also means these bulbs cannot connect to any bigger home system you might have.

Costly

The cost for the bulbs ranges between fifty and sixty dollars per bulb. This does make it markedly more expensive compared to other LED bulbs which offer similar energy efficient benefits.

No Universal Switch

The app for this unit does not have a universal on or off switch.

Need Lots of Connections

You can only operate the bulbs with wireless internet. While the benefits of being able to use your pone to program at any time the light settings, the fact that it requires wireless internet to use means there cannot exist issues with your internet. Poor connections, lost connections, or account issues can literally leave your home in the dark, taking away the ability to change settings. Users won’t be left entirely, or instantly, in the dark though. Designers for this bulb have created a built-in flash memory alongside a real-time clock which has a battery backup. This means that the settings you have won’t disappear in a power or internet outage, but they won’t last forever. What’s more, it means that you cannot simply control your lights with a dimmer switch and instead are reliant upon your phone. Smart phones are a requirement. Consumers without a smart phone or the proper operating system on their phones will be unable to use the app which controls the lights. Another factor is that you are going to be always connected to your phone. This is not cognitively healthy for you and it is socially rude to regularly check your phone. Naturally, in this case, for the sake of controlling lights in social settings. Additionally, should your phone go beyond the 150 feet upgrade distance from the bulbs, you will not be able to use the app. Nor will you be able to use any of the services associated with the bulbs. In order to operate these bulbs, you are required to maintain three separate bills for your phone, wireless, and electricity. This will never change, and therefore remains a constant high cost of operation that some people might not want.

Warnings

Long Term Change

People who invest in energy efficient items in their homes, statistically use more of said item than they normally would. It is important to note that those who have energy saving light bulbs, for example, are more prone to leaving their lights on for longer periods of time. They are also prone to not worrying about turning them off when they leave a room. So, using the app can give you a slight advantage insofar as you can set timers and controls so that you don’t fall prone to this. However, it takes a conscientious effort to remember turning off all lights. Many people think about what short term things, or one time things they can do to mitigate climate change or reduce their impact. However, most people fail to realize that much the same as diet and exercise, these changes have to be long term. These changes have to become permanent lifestyle changes which we don’t just do the once.

Alternatives

Other Wifi Bulbs

There are other wi-fi connected bulbs such as Philips’ Hue and Belkin’s WeMo. WeMo’s plug-in Link works as a Wi-Fi hub, which does not connect to a router and whose set up is about as easy as the iLumi set up. The cost for this alternative is only twenty dollars more than a single one of these brand name bulb. Philips has a Hue dimmer switch and currently iLumi does not work with dimmer switches as mentioned. Remember though that these bulbs are first generation, which means they have a lot of room for future improvement like their competitors.

Wise Advice

Do not buy Ilumi online before searching Amazon.- Alternatives or the same items are always available and sometimes at lower prices.

Wise Advice

Do not buy Ilumi online before searching Amazon.- Alternatives or the same items are always available and sometimes at lower prices.

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